


Spring Showers Bring May Flowers (but no Gabriel Reyes)

by DarthUmbreon (SperoDeoVolente)



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Chibi, Friendship, Inspired by Fanart, Kid Fic, M/M, Sorry Not Sorry, giftfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-15
Updated: 2017-01-15
Packaged: 2018-09-17 15:49:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9332234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SperoDeoVolente/pseuds/DarthUmbreon
Summary: Jack has a best friend. Only his best friend, Gabriel Reyes is only in Bloomington Indiana for two weeks every May. Last year Jack made a mistake, and this year he hopes to fix it!





	

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Chibi AU Art](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/256505) by non-fatmilk. 



> This is was inspired by non-fatmilks young!Jack and young!Gabe chibi art. This is me writing how they stopped being friends.

_ Brrrrtz! Brrrrtz!  _ Jack’s omnic alarm clock, modeled after Bastion Units goes off, dragging him from slumber. One hand fumbles across his headboard searching for the snooze button. It’s early, so early the sun hasn’t even risen yet. Fingers find his Captain America figurine, two comic books, and several rubber bands before finally finding the cursed alarm clock. Hand slams down on the off button, his mind slowly drifting back to sleep.  _ Why did I set it for so early on a Saturday?  _ His mind ponders this important question, why would he set the alarm so early on a Saturday? Sleep rests heavy on his eyes, and it tugs at him gently. Still, he never sets his alarm without a good reason! An index finger rubs junk from his eyes, fighting off sleep. Does he have football practice?  _ No, today is May 1st...IT’S MAY 1ST! Gabe comes back today! _

 

Jack shoves the covers off, feet slamming to the ground. One hand grabs a red t-shirt with a Bastion unit printed on the front, a gift from Gabe’s mama last summer. As he wiggles the uncomfortably tight shirt over his head, his other hand reaches for a pair of shorts. Quick as he can, Jack pulls the black shorts on before dashing for his bedroom door. There’s a brief pit stop by the hall closet to grab his shoes. Breakfast can wait, Mama Reye’s always feeds him. He has to go back to the closet when he finds it raining outside. Thanks to the usual spring rains he needs his red and blue umbrella. Neatly tucked under his left arm is a wrapped package. Feet splashing into every puddle he comes across, Jack races for the Reyes’s spring vacation home. 

 

Every summer for the past six years, his best friend Gabriel Reyes visits his grandparents in Bloomington, Indiana. They own a small townhouse just down the street from Jack. Normally the oldest generation of Reyes live New York City, but every summer they have a family gathering in the middle. Gabe’s family lives in Los Angeles. There is a Reyes family meeting here every spring. Normally the townhouse is empty, except from May 1st to May 14th. Even he only gets to spend two weeks every May with Gabe, they’re best friends. Or, they were. Last spring things didn’t go like usual. It became tradition every year, that on the last day Gabe is in Bloomington, the two of them exchange birthday gifts. Jack saves up his allowance money, and works extra chores, just so he can buy something really nice Gabe. Things didn’t work out last year. 

 

Jack’s papa is farmer. Last fall, the family crops failed. There wasn’t enough money for Jack to have an allowance, or earn money doing chores. He did his best, but he only had five dollars to his name to buy his best friend a gift. All thoughts of birthday presents had been forgotten when he saw Gabe waiting for him on the porch steps. They’d hadn’t talked at all about the gift exchange, too busy having fun. So on the last day of Gabe’s visit, Jack panics because he can’t afford a gift. He’s supposed to go over and exchange gifts with Gabe, and he can’t because he has nothing to give. Neither parent can afford to buy a gift for him. His dad is working in the fields, and his mom is busy at work. So when the phone rings, caller id shower the Reyes number, Jack doesn’t answer. Jack watches the phone ring with tear filled eyes, too ashamed to tell them the truth. That he has no gift to give in exchange, that he failed his best friend. It rings every half hour for the entire night, finally stopping at ten o’ clock. Both of Jack’s parents refuse to answer it for him after he explains what he did. When Jack wakes up the next day, there is a package waiting for him on the front steps. Inside is his gift from Gabe and Mama Reyes. It takes him until the fourth of July to unwrap his presents.      

 

That taught Jack and important lesson, he can’t depend on anyone for money. He has to earn it himself so he’ll never let Gabe down again. First he sweet talks the local newspaper into giving a paper route. Then he rakes leaves until there are no longer any yards to rake leaves off of. Once the snow falls, he shovels sidewalks and driveways for whatever people will pay him. This continues all winter. Once the snow melts, and spring flowers start to bud fed by the spring rains, he’s finally ready to buy the best gift. This year, to make up for the missed last year, Jack buys Gabe a PS10, three controllers, and the latest Dragon Quest game. Gabe had been talking about that a lot last year. So, his gifts are wrapped neatly in a box with a large gold bow. Even though the gift will be early, he wants Gabe to open it. That way they can play videogames together! Even Gabe’s pushy little sister, Cristina can play with them sometimes. Jack’s feet slow to a complete stop at the sight of the Reyes’s spring home.

 

There are no lights on, nor any cars in the driveway. Gabe is no waiting for him on the front steps.  _ I-is he that mad at me for missing last year’s gift exchange? Maybe Mama Reyes will let me in to apologize! _ Mama Reyes is always up by this point! Maybe they’re sleeping in, because of a long flight?  _ Where is Reyes rental cars?  _ Suddenly nervous, Jack goes up the steps much slower than his usual rushed dash. Carefully placing his precious gift to the right side of the front door, he rings the doorbell. No one answers. Fear forming a hard lump in his throat, Jack tries knocking instead. Again, no one answers. He stands at the front door for twenty minutes before deciding no one is home. Carefully he sits on the front steps, waiting for them to arrive. Jack is on the porch, gift resting between his legs until dinner. Finally admitting they won’t be coming today, Jack trudges home. He doesn’t even splash in any puddles.

 

The next day, Jack is at the Reyes’s spring home before the sun rises, gift in hand. Yet again, no one is home. Determined to make things right between him and Gabe, he stubbornly refuses to leave their front steps. His mother has to walk from their house to make Jack come home for dinner. Monday is a school day, so Jack rushes straight to the Reyes after school. There is still no one home. He waits on the front steps for them to hopefully arrive. Rain starts to fall, and Jack doesn’t care he’s without his umbrella. It hides his tears from his mother. She knows anyway, hugging tight when he gets home. Every single day for two weeks Jack waits on the front steps. 

 

Once the time is well past for the Reyes annual visit, Jack decides to stop waiting. Instead, he throws himself into more small jobs to earn money. Next year Gabe has to come. He’ll apologize, and give him the best gift ever. By Halloween, Jack has bought three more controllers for the PS10. Come Christmas Eve, Jack has shoveled enough to buy five games. There’s not a lot more Jack can get by the time Gabe is due to visit again. So instead, he buys Gabe’s favorite actions figures with the money he earns.

 

_ Brrrrtz! Brrrrtz!  _ Jack’s omnic alarm clock, modeled after Bastion Units goes off, dragging him from slumber. One hand fumbles across his headboard searching for the snooze button. It’s early, so early the sun hasn’t even risen yet. Even the birds have better things to do this morning then sing. Fingers stumble across his unfinished homework, pens, pencils, several rubber bands before finally finding the cursed alarm clock. Hand slams down on the off button, his mind slowly drifting back to sleep.  _ Why did I set it for so early on a Saturday?  _ His mind ponders this important question, why would he set the alarm so early? Sleep rests heavy on his eyes, and it tugs at him gently. Still, he never sets his alarm without a good reason! An index finger rubs junk from his eyes, fighting off sleep. Does he need to do his paper route?  _ No, today is May 1st...IT’S MAY 1ST! Gabe comes back today! _

 

Jack shoves the covers off, feet slamming to the ground with a loud thud. One hand grabs his favorite Captain America t-shirt. As he wiggles the worn shirt over his head, his other hand reaches for a pair of shorts. Jack pulls the blue shorts, managing to fall on his butt twice in his rush,before dashing for his bedroom door. There’s a brief pit stop by the hall closet to grab his shoes. Breakfast can wait, Mama Reye’s usually feeds him. He has to go back to the closet when he finds it hailing outside. Thanks to the unusual spring weather, he needs his new red and white umbrella. Neatly in his arms is larger wrapped package, topped with several smaller ones. Feet splashing into every puddle he comes across, Jack races for the Reyes’s spring vacation home. 

 

His heart sinks like a stone in a well. Again there are no cars in the driveway, and not a single light is on. Feet feeling like lead, Jack goes up the front steps slowly. Carefully he sets down the wrapped gifts next to the front door. He rings the doorbell, and no one answers. This time, he heads straight home instead of waiting on the front steps. Jack walks to the Reyes’s spring home every day for a week. He rings the doorbell once, and when he gets no answer, he heads right home. There are fewer tears this year, compared to last year.

 

_ Brrrriing! Brrrriing!  _ Jack’s plain black alarm clock goes off, dragging him from slumber. One hand fumbles across his headboard searching for the snooze button. It’s early, so early the sun hasn’t even risen yet. Fingers find his history textbook, finished homework, and several rubber bands before finally finding the cursed alarm clock. Hand gently presses the off button, his mind slowly drifting back to sleep.  _ Will he be here this year?  _ His mind ponders this important question. Tiny sparks of hope still rest in his heart. Surely this year he can make things right! Sleep rests heavy on his eyes,but he shrugs it off easily now.  _ Today is May 1st.  Gabe must come back today! _

  
Jack carefully eases the covers off, feet lightly touching to the ground. Before he gets dressed, he takes time to make the bed. Once that chore is done, one hand grabs a plain green t-shirt. A pair of shorts is ready to go on a nearby chair. Jack pulls the brown shorts on before walking calmly to his bedroom door. There’s a brief pit stop by the hall closet to grab his shoes. Breakfast is cold pop tart, Mama Reyes might feeds him. He has an umbrella ready, it always rains on May 1st. Thanks to the usual spring rains he needs his blue umbrella.Pulled behind him in a red wagon is a small mountain of neatly wrapped gifts. Feet carefully avoiding every puddle he comes across, Jack walks to the Reyes’s spring vacation home. He doesn’t even bother to knock when he sees the large ‘For Sale’ sign being put up the town’s Realtor - Mr. Brown. Jack’s heart shatters into tiny pieces at the sight. He thought he wouldn’t cry this year. Tears run down his face, summoned by the dying dream of making things right. Later that night, Jack donates every single gift to the local Women’s Shelter. Eventually the pain fades as the memory of Gabriel Reyes’s face fades entirely from Jack’s mind. It’s easier that way, to not remember.

**Author's Note:**

> Check out non-fatmilk on tumblr! THEY MAKE SUPER CUTE ART!  
> http://non-fatmilk.tumblr.com


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